A midsummer GOOTB dream

What do you get when you combine an amazing group of teenagers with the sights and sounds of Manitoba? A whole lot of creativity. Introducing the future travel bloggers, journalists and videographers of Manitoba: Get out of the Basement! With the objective of seeing all Manitoba has to offer, GOOTB set out for an unforgettable summer touring our beautiful province. Here’s what the crew has been up to so far…

Cultural adventures

From Folklorama to Islendingadagurinn, GOOTB embarked on a number of exciting cultural adventures, eager to learn more about the complex and vast history of our province and its people.

The lighthearted side of their findings led to hilarious memes (Seriously? 43 pavilions? Ain’t nobody got time for that) while other outings led to deeper discoveries.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Grace visited the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and had the opportunity to reflect on her own family’s history and what role youth play in the future of human rights. Georgia came to her own conclusions at the Museum, analyzing the impact of harmful traditions on women and the importance of becoming an advocate for human rights.

Surprising discoveries

Assiniboine Park

The GOOTB team made an exciting revelation this summer: Indeed, some things are much better if done outside. In fact, it can be very fulfilling to spend the majority of summer in the great outdoors. Desk picnics just aren’t the same. The zoo was a fan favourite as the team went from enclosure to enclosure to get the insider deets from each animal.

Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre

The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, one of the most under rated Manitoban experiences, was at the top of the bucket list for GOOTB. While GOOTB seemed to have a unique knowledge about dinosaurs prior to visiting the Centre, it was here that the crew learned about which creatures once roamed the area and what role the site plays in discovering new fossils.

Festival fever

If there’s one thing our friends at GOOTB have learned this summer, it’s that Manitoba has a heck of a lot of festivals. A lot.

Winnipeg Folk Festival

No matter where the GOOTB team ventured to, they always brought their own personal flair along the way. For Folk Fest, the team schemed up the idea to become a fake folk band (though they still exist in our hearts). It was social experiment meets improv – and it went off without a hitch. We’d buy the album.

Once those shenanigans were through, the group wandered the festival in search of interesting people with interesting stories, a spin-off on the popular Humans of New York. Only one question remained: Who, of these individuals, did one of the seven dances of Folk Fest?

The best, of course, was GOOTB’s epic donut eating contest against DnD Improv. The two teams went head to head, but only one came out on top. Mini donut craving risk: High.

Gimli Film Festival

As GOOTB headed up into the Interlake for the Gimli Film Festival, one simple yet though-provoking question was at top of mind…What does it really mean to Get out of the Basement? Is it just a cool summer job, or is there more to it? The answer came to fruition in a critically acclaimed (by Travel Manitoba, at least) short feature called Depth of the Sea; channeling the likes of Winnipeg’s own Guy Madden.

Hey! I'm Breanne, Content Specialist for Travel Manitoba. I work with the content team to come up with wacky ideas for our blog and social media platforms. My next pitch? Top 10 Spots to Cuddle Cats in Manitoba. You can email me at bsewards@travelmanitoba.com.